Effects of mineral mixture addition on the level of selected macroelementsin the hair of Polish Holstein-Friesian cows

Abstract

Studies aimed to determine the usefulness of mineral mixture Bovifosfomag® in bovine nutrition were carried out in southern Podlasie, Poland, over a period of two years. The criterion of its usefulness was the level of particular minerals measured in the hair of dairy cows. The concentrations of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium were measured by the ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) method using the ICP spectrometer Philips SC-PU 7000 attached to the Cetac U-5000 AT ultrasonic nebulizer. Hair samples were taken twice, 10-14 days before parturition and after the first month of lactation. Bovifosfomag® mineral mixture, which had been developed on previous macromineral deficiency monitoring studies, in most cases improved the supply of minerals to cows in the surveyed farms. Hair of cows differed significantly in calcium, phosphorus and magnesium content. The reasons for this probably lay in the individual characteristics of the cows. Bovine coat hair proved useful in the diagnosis of mineral deficiencies and revealed a short supply in phosphorus and magnesium in the control group. The study of the mineral composition of hair partially confirmed previous trends in the patterns of mineral levels observed in blood serum. An increase in Ca, P and Mg in the hair of the animals fed the supplement was found.